Follower or form for boots and shoes.



No.795,854. ,PATENTED A1JGr.1,1905.

BI'J! POLLOVWEB. 03. FORM FOR ows AND SHOES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7,1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. BERNICE JQNOYE 'OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLLOWER OR FORM FOR BOOTS AND SHOES- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

Application filed March 7,1898. Serial No. 672,830.

To all 1077 0110 it may concern:

Be it known that I, BERNICE J. Norms, of Boston, county of Sufl'olk. State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Followers or Forms for Boots and Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts. This invention relates to followers or forms for boots and shoes, which are adapted to be inserted in the boots and shoes after the usual lasts have been withdrawn and to be retained in said boots and shoes during the successive steps of their manufacture to keep them in shape; and it has for its object to improve the con struction of the same, to the end that they may be withdrawn from boots and shoes having their ankle or top portions closedas, for instance, they may be withdrawn from buttoned boots when buttoned. or from laced boots when laced, or from Congress boots without stretching the gores; and the invention also has for its object certain other improvements, as will be hereinafter described.

In accordance with this invention the follower will have all of its circumferential measurements from end to end, which are greater than the closed ankle measurements of the boot or shoe, reducible to at least such measurement, thereby enabling it to be withdrawn from the boot or shoe having its ankle or top portion closed.

A followerembodying this invention con sists, essentially, of a fore part adapted to snugly fit the fore part of the boot or shoe and means connected to said fore part for thrusting it forward and for retaining it in proper position in the shoe,said fore part comprising the toe, ball, and instep portions, and all the circumferential measurements of said follower will be reducible to the closed ankle measurement of the Shoe.

In the particular way herein shown for carrying out my invention the fore part is divided longitudinally into two parts, and springs are interposed between said parts, which tend to hold them separated a short distance, and a heel-piece is connected with said fore part, which is constructed and arranged to retain said fore part thrust forward in the shoe in order to cause it to retain the shape given to it by the last, and the rear end or shank por tion of said fore part is cut away more or less to reduce its clrcumferentlal measurement at the ball to or to less than the closed ankle measurement of the shoe.

Figure 1 Shows in side elevation a follower for boots and shoes embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of the follower shown in Fig. 1.

The fore part consists of or comprises at least the toe, ball, and instep portions, and it is herein shown as divided longitudinally into two parts a and 7), and said parts are connected together by Springs 0 and (Z, there being one spring near the toe and one spring near the shank, and said springs 0 and d are made as ordinary spiral springs, although the wire composing said springs is extended at each end of the coil for a short distance, as cd', (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) to serve as a means of holding the springs in place.

As herein shown, the springs c and (Z are connected to the parts a and b of the fore part by boring holes through said fore part from side to side, which are of larger diameter than the springs, and then inserting the springs in said holes, with the coils thereof midway the length of the holes and crossing the line of severance of the parts a b, and then driving into said holes at each side of the fore part a dowelpin, as 0 (Z (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) said dowel-pins being made large enough to lit said holes and to impinge upon said wires, which extend from the ends of the coils of the springs, thereby holding said Springs securely in place.

The heel-piece, by means of which. the fore part is held in place in the fore part of the shoe, as herein shown, consists of two arms ff, placed one behind the other and loosely connected together at their inner or adjacent ends by a U-shaped spring f and the opposite end of one of said arms, as f, is fixed or connected to a horizontal pin a, (see dotted lines, Fig. 2,) which is set in holes or sockets in the adjacent faces of the parts a b of the fore part,said pin 0 thereby serving as a pivot pin for said arm f, and the opposite end or rear extremity of the other arm, as f, bears a convex plate f which is shaped to bear against the heel end of the boot or shoe. The upper end of said convex plate f may be formed or provided with a hook f. This heel-piece, as shown, is extensible lengthwise by the normal separation of the arms of the U-shaped spring f and when so extended serves to thrust forward the fore part in a yielding manner. The arms f f" of the heelpiece may occupy a position in alinement or they may be inclined above or below such position, and when inclined below such position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, it will be seen that the parts are locked in place; but when it is desired to unlock them the U shaped spring f may be engaged by a lasthook or equivalent device and pulled in an upward direction, whereupon said arms ff will be drawn up, the spring f yielding during such operation. The heel piece thus constructed acts as a toggle. I do not desire to limit my invention to the precise form of heelpiece herein shown, as the same may be modified within the spirit and scope of this inven tion.

' The shank or rear end of the fore part a b is cut away to reduce its circumferential measurement materially at such point, and by compressing the two parts ab of the fore part together the ball and all other circumferential measurements will be sufficiently reduced to be withdrawn from a boot or shoe having its ankle or top portion closed.

One of the material advantages gained by thus constructing a follower is that it may be introduced into a boot or shoe as soon as the last is withdrawn and will retain the fore part of said boot or shoe in the shape left by the last, and while it is thus contained in the boot or shoe it is possible to close the top or ankle portion of said boot or shoeas, for instance, to button or lace itand to then iron orotherwise smooth the closed top or ankle portion of said boot or shoe, and thereafter withdraw said follower from the boot or shoe without unbuttoning or unlacing it or stretching its gores. It is obvious that many Ways may be devised for constructing a follower whereby this result may be accomplished, all of which would come within the spirit and scope of this invention.

I have herein shown afollower comprising an expansible fore part and an extensible heelpiece connected to it more particularly for the purpose of illustrating my invention; but such a follower I do not claim except as hereinafter set forth.

I claim- 1. A follower for boots and shoes consisting of a longitudinally-divided fore part, cut away at the shank and having means for separating the portions thereof, and an automatically-extensible heel part pivotal] y connected to both portions of said fore part which acts in an upward diagonal direction to yieldingly thrust said fore part forward and to yieldingly hold its rear end elevated, substantially as described.

2. A follower for boots and shoes comprising a fore part and a toggle-jointed heelpiece connected thereto comprising arms f, f, and an intermediate spring connecting said arms together, substantially as described.

3. A follower for boots and shoes comprising a fore part and a togglejointed heelpiece connected thereto comprising arms f, f, and an inverted-U-shaped spring connecting said. arms together, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BERNICE J. NOYES.

Witnesses:

J ENNIE L. HUTOHINSON, ARTHUR F. RANDALL. 

